Top 12 'Idol' finalist has isle ties

Sanjaya Malakar, 17, the "American Idol" finalist who lived on Kauai for four years, was voted into the Top 12 last night in Hollywood.

From this point, singers will be voted off the show one at a time.

Malakar and sister Shyamali spent their preteen years on Kauai, often performing for Hawaii Children's Theater. Mother Jill Recchi was on the theater board. Shyamali was also an "Idol" hopeful but failed to make it to the show's semifinal rounds.

The family moved to Federal Way, Wash., in 2000.

Demonstrating "hidden" talents on this week's episode of "American Idol," Sanjaya Malakar performed a hula.

The show's tense final moments belonged to Malakar and Jason "Sundance" Head, who were waiting to find out who would take the competition's 12th spot -- and who would go home. Judge Paula Abdul was stunned to hear that Malakar, who is not exactly a judge favorite, was staying.

"I'm speechless," Abdul said. "This is a singing competition, and Sundance, you've been one of our finest."

How'd this happen? "The volume was turned down," quipped Simon Cowell, who has criticized Malakar for his "weird" stage presence.

Japanese investigate sea killing

Three Japanese Coast Guard officials were scheduled to arrive in Hawaii to investigate a fatal stabbing of a male crew member aboard a Japanese-flagged fishing vessel.

According to an official with the Japan Coast Guard's International Affairs and Crisis Management Division, the incident happened about 120 miles south of Hawaii aboard the vessel, No. 18 Shojin Maru, at 5:20 p.m. Feb. 28 (Tokyo time).

The stabbing victim is of Chinese descent. The suspect is of Vietnamese descent. There were 29 people on the vessel.

Honolulu police are not investigating the stabbing since it occurred on a ship at sea. The Honolulu Medical Examiner is expected to perform an autopsy today.

COURTESY OF U.S. ARMY
Five propellant grains were found yesterday in Maili.

Flammable grains seen on beach

The Army is investigating the source of five small and possibly flammable items that were found on Maili Beach yesterday and turned over to ordnance experts.

Army ordnance experts identified the items, which are cylindrical and approximately 1 inch in length and one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch in diameter, as propellant grains. The Army considers the items to be highly flammable and extremely sensitive to friction and static electricity.

The Army says anyone finding these items should contact the Fire or Police department. Anyone who might have picked up these items and taken them home should immediately put them in water.

Star-Bulletin staff and the Associated Press

Coming this weekend in your Star-Bulletin:

SATURDAY

Keeping Faith: A new bishop for the Episcopal Church in Hawaii will be ordained tomorrow in pageantry that brings the Right Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the first female presiding bishop in the United States, and bishops from Taiwan, Okinawa, New Zealand and the Philippines to Hawaii. New Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick said he sees himself as a teacher and coach for the 8,600 Episcopalians in Hawaii.

SUNDAY

Today: That stolid TV cop show, "Hawaii Five-0," has arrived on DVD. Fans are waxing nostalgic as they recall that great theme song, that memorable opening sequence and Jack Lord's never-creasing suit and never-moving hair.

Business: The owner of a Canadian roofing company who was banned from doing business in Hawaii for deceptive business practices has found a way to continue making money in the islands.

Police, Fire, Courts

Star-Bulletin staff

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Big Isle man held in fatal shooting

WAIKOLOA RESORT, Hawaii » West Hawaii police are holding a 53-year-old Waikoloa Village man for suspicion of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a 38-year-old man yesterday at Waikoloa Resort.

He was not immediately charged. The victim's name was withheld pending notification of his family.

Police received a report at 4:07 p.m. that a shooting happened at the employees' parking lot of the King's Shops on Waikoloa Beach Drive, they said. They found the victim dead from multiple gunshot wounds. No weapon information was released.

Police said last night that they were holding the suspect at the Kealakehe Station near Kailua-Kona, 20 miles south of the shooting site.

Police have 48 hours from the time of an arrest to charge a suspect or release him.

The death is the second firearm slaying on the Big Island in less than two weeks.

Early on Feb. 25, in the Puna District on the other side of the island, a teenager identified by acquaintances as Malaki McBride, 17, allegedly shot Tyrone Torres, 21, in the head with a shotgun. Friends said the shooting took place after Torres left a party with McBride's girlfriend.

Police gave no motive for yesterday's shooting.

Police identify drowning victim

HILO » Hawaii Island police have identified a man who drowned Wednesday in the Wailuku River as Christian Jensen Starr, 20, of Warrenville, Ill., a boatswain's mate on the Coast Guard cutter Kiska stationed at Hilo.

Fire Department rescue personnel said they responded to a 4:42 p.m. call of a possible drowning in the Reed's Island area of the river where it flows through an area of steep canyon walls.

Using a helicopter, three divers were lowered into the river, and the body was found in 45-foot-deep water, they said.

Starr's friends said he jumped off falls upriver, came up once and cried for help, then disappeared. An autopsy has been scheduled.

LATE/BREAKING ITEMS

Pedestrian hurt in car accident

A 63-year-old man was in critical condition today after being hit by a car last night in Aiea.

Police said that at about 7 p.m. the victim had parked his car near 98-1746 Nahele Street in the Newtown subdivision.

He parked on the Koko Head side of the street and was crossing to the other side of the street when he was hit by a 2006 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven by a 60-year-old man, police said.

The victim was not in a crosswalk, police said. He was taken to the Queen's Medical Center.

Speed, alcohol and drugs were not factors in this case, police said.

The accident comes at a time when Oahu has had 10 pedestrian fatalities in the first 66 days of the year, compared with 20 pedestrian deaths in all of last year.

Assault at club leads to arrest

Police arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly assaulted a Kapiolani nightclub employee early Monday and then went back to the bar early today.

Police said that at about 3 a.m. Monday, the suspect was drinking a beer in the parking lot of the nightclub at Kapiolani Boulevard and Keeaumoku Street.

A woman employee told him he wasn't allowed to drink in the lot and took his beer, police said.

As she turned away, the suspect allegedly punched her from behind and she fell to the ground, where he continued his assault.

The employee's ribs were fractured, police said.

The suspect returned to the club early today and the employee recognized him, police said.

Police were called and the suspect was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault.